Appliance for the treatment of colds, influenza and similar ailments



y 31, 1932- s. E, ARMSTRONG APPLIANCE FOR THE TREATMENT OF COLDS,- INFLUENZA, AND SIMILAR AILMENTS Filed June 18, 1950 2 Shets-Sheet 1 y 31, 1932- s. E-. ARMSTRONG 1,860,847

APPLIANCE FOR THE TREATMENT OF COLDS, INFLUENZA, AND SIMILAR AILMENTS Filed June 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 provided with an elongated opening 7 in the middle part which clears the eyes, nose, mouth and chin of the patient. lVhile, however, the bag when in use does not cover these parts of the face, it does provide portions covering the forehead and particularuid of the desired temperature can'be introduced or emptied by way of a filler neck'8 having a suitable filler cap 9, which filler cap usually is provided with exterior screw threads that screw into internal threads in the neck 8.

' For theapplication of the article to the head of the patient, the bag is, preferably provided with attaching means such as flex-- ibletabs at the outerfedge portion for the attachment of suitable. attaching bands; or strings. In the particularform shown there are five suchtabs, there being one at the topv of the bag, as shown at 10, two tabs 11 at the respective sides of the bag somewhat "below i .the top, and two additional tabs 12 at the sides of thebag somewhat abovethe extreme lower edge thereof.- All of vthesetabs are preferably provided with metallic eyelets 13' by means of which strings or tapes of suitable character can be atached'to the bag for holding it'on'the. headof the wearer.

The manner of filling the bag with the hot or cold liquidwill be obvious .from the fore- ..goingdescription; The manner inwhich it is usually-applied to the patients head is shown in Fig. 1, and it willbe observed that customarily strings or itapes 14 extending jfromrtherespective tabs 11 are interconnect- I ed by tying them together at the back of the.

head. To the strings running around the headis attached the string 15' which extends over the top of the head fromtab 10; Strings 16-from thelower tabs 12 pass rearwardly about-the patients-neck and are tied to-- gether insucha manner :asto hold the lower part of the bag in place across the front of the neck.

i It will be observed that the. face opening/7 above mentioned'is preferably so shaped as to-provide anupper portioninsuring .full vision to the wearer ofthe appliance.

The upper edge 10f. the openingis-substantially horizontal and substantially in line with the lower margin of the forehead and the curved upper corners 7? of this opening are so separated from'eachother as to pass laterally beyond and clear the eyes of the average person vso that the wearer can have full use of his eyes. It Wlll alsobeobserved that below the corner portions 7 the face opening is somewhat contracted laterally by. the pro.- Vision of curved portions 7*, which are 1ntended to extend over or close to and permit effective treatment of the sinuses at the sides of the nose. Below the portions 7 the face opening 7 is again somewhat widened, as shown at 7, so that the wearer of theappliance can use his mouth for talking, eating,

' etc without inconvenience and it will be ob- "-served-furtherthat thefac'e opening will be of such area as to clear at its lower portion the chin of the'average-person so that without discomfort or inconvenience the chin may be lowered as the'mouth is opened.

By locating thefiller neck and fill-er cap at that portion which extends across the throat beneath the chin, and more especially the central region of that portion, these parts are most conveniently disposed and they will not interfere with the act of opening the mouth, nor will they interfere with thexdownward bending to a considerabledegree of the patients-head. The appliance can be worn 'with comfort, although it is understood, of

course, that usually'it will be worn while the patient is 1n a recumbent or sem -recumbent position. The appliance is of sucha character as not to interfere with the patients reading or going to sleep if hedes res to do so.

My appliance permits the. treatment of colds'and like ailments, and even such ailments as toothaches,aetc.,.by the use of hot or cold applications in a very convenient manner. My invention also provides for the thorough treatment of certain regions of the head and .neck, and, in fact,; all of those regions of the head and-neck in 'which colds are most liable to occur, and as all of the regions above mentloned can .convenlently be treated simultaneously by thefapplication of heat or cold the article is very effective and in most cases provides for .the promptcure of ordinary colds. If the, patient hasa head cold, the treatment of the throat simultaneously withthe treatment of the sinuses and the nose region will in many cases prevent the congestion from passing over or being transferred to the throat; and similarly if the ab- 7 normal condition is localized in the throat it will'usually be kept from spreading to the nasal region. 1 I Y Various changes can bemade in the details ofthe structure without departing fromth-ev 1.2 0"

scope of claims. What I claim-is:

my invention as defined in the of a patient for the treatment of colds and similar conditions, comprising a flexible shallow bag adapted to contain liquid ofthe required temperature, said bag being of greater length than'width and having a top portion adapted to overlie the foreheadffor the treatment of'the frontalsinuses, side por- 1 1. An appliance for application to the face i the upper boundary of said neck-engaging lower portion of the bag being shaped to per mit free movement of the chin, and means for holding the bag in place on the patients head. i

2. An appliance for application to the face of a patient for the treatment of colds and similar conditions, comprising a flexible shallow bag adapted-to contain liquid of the required temperature, said bag being. of

greater length than width and having a top a portion adapted to overlie the forehead for the treatment of the frontal sinuses, side portions adapted to lie adjacent the sinuses at the sides of the nose, and a lower portion adapted to lie against the front of the neck so as to treat the patients throat, said bag being constructed to clear the eyes, nose, mouth and chin'of the patient and being provided for that purpose with a vertically elongated opening which extends from the V forehead-engaging portion of the bag below the chin, the upper boundary of said neck-engaging lower portion of the bag being shaped to permit free movement of the chin,

* the portions of the bag at opposite sides of the nose being curved in slightly toward the nose and said elongated opening being of greater width above and below said portions.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of June 1930.

STANLEY E.-ARMSTRONG. 

